Faculty may request paid or unpaid leaves of absences for various reasons (i.e., faculty fellowship and leaves funded by other institutions). 

Leaves for Marshall Fire Impacts

Campus guidance states that impacted regular faculty (all tenured and tenure-track faculty and instructor-track, clinical-track, and faculty-in-residence at 50% time or more), faculty members should follow their college/school procedures for applying for leave. Most typically, faculty members should contact their chairs/directors, deans/divisional deans, and school/college faculty HR liaisons to begin the application process using the appropriate leave request form.

Qualifying faculty who are requesting leave should download and complete this form and email to CEASHR@colorado.edu. 

Download Leave Request Form

Leaves Funded by Other Institutions

As outlined by the Office of Faculty Affairs website, a leave to pursue scholarly work through a grant or at another institution may be granted to members of the regular tenure | tenure-track faculty by the Provost through the Office of Faculty Affairs on the recommendation of the Department Chair or the Dean. In most cases, the leave will be for one year; it would be unusual for the Provost to grant such a leave beyond two years. Such leaves may be granted to:

  • Permit acceptance of a prestigious grant or fellowship, or
  • Permit acceptance of a temporary appointment at another institution when such appointment would, in the interest of the University, permit engagement in scholarly activities that are not otherwise practicably available, and that will significantly enhance the professional effectiveness of the individual.

Leaves without Pay

As outlined on the Office of Faculty Affairs website, unpaid leaves may be requested by members of the regular tenure | tenure-track faculty for various reasons and are considered on an individual basis, which are normally approved for up to one year. Consecutive years of unpaid leave are considered unusual and require special consideration. Some reasons for requesting an unpaid leave may include:

  • Working with industry
  • Entrepreneurial leave 
  • Personal reasons, or
  • Medical situations that have exhausted all other available options.

Faculty on unpaid, non-medical leave are indicated as having a 0% appointment in order to stop University benefits during the period of the unpaid leave of absence. Full Time Employees should remain at 1.0. Faculty on unpaid medical leave will remain at a 100% appointment and have the option of continuing or waiving their medical benefits. If the faculty member chooses to continue medical benefits, the University will pay its portion toward the faculty member’s benefits and the faculty member will be responsible for paying their portion of benefits coverage.

Procedures for Requesting Other Leave

  • Faculty member notifies Chair/Director of need to request leave of absence.
  • Faculty member provides the Request for Leave of Absence to the Chair/Director.
  • Chair/Director reviews and approves the Request for Leave of Absence.
  • Unit HR Liaison submits the Request for Leave of Absence form to CEAS HR.  
  • CEAS HR reviews the Request for Leave of Absence and submits to the Dean for signature via DocuSign.
  • Once the Dean signs the Request for Leave of Absence, the form is forwarded via DocuSign to the Office of Faculty Affairs for final-approval signature.
  • Upon return, a copy of the final, approved request is submitted by CEAS HR to the unit HR Liaison, HR Service Center, and CEAS Director of Budget and Finance.  
    • Unit HR Liaison saves a copy to file, forwards a copy to the faculty member, and works with the HR Service Center.  
  • CEAS HR updates tracking sheets as applicable.